Some of us have gotten used to the ease of finding a parking space in our hamlets over the last couple of months, or the easy flow of traffic on Route 117 in Bedford Hills. It’s been kind of nice strolling around town — despite the heat — and having a little elbow room.

Now the signs of fall fervor are building. Our inbox is filled with upcoming events at the John Jay Homestead, the Katonah Museum of Art, the libraries and the rec departments. The school parking lots are filling up — school staff are the advance personnel of the season. Driveways that have been empty are filling up with cars returning from Cape Cod or Cape May. First-year college students are heading out, accompanied by their nervous parents, into a new world of dormitory life and college exams. Kindergarteners and high school freshmen are no doubt sharing their jitters, and teachers are settling in. Commuters who saw half-full summer trains will find themselves jostled and crowded again as the work year moves into full swing. Road crews will soon be putting finishing touches on asphalt and sidewalk repairs, as the school buses and minivans charge ahead.

We can still cling to the vestiges of summer; farmers markets, the Bedford Pace, and weekends at the beach. But with the advent of September and the approach of an election campaign, we bid a sad farewell to the days of summer.

Class act

Bedfordites who attend meetings, parades, benefits and public events no doubt got used to a familiar figure over the last four or five years. The Record-Review’s reporter John Roche was familiar to town board members, every two weeks, and at many public work sessions. He was the one holding the microphone to veterans on Memorial Day and to kindergartners on the first day of school. This is his final week as a full-time reporter for the paper. He is leaving, quite happily (he says), for a full-time college teaching career.

“Traffic woes on Route 35,” “Bedford voters to choose between three board candidates,” “‘Cat in the Hat’ author celebrated in Seussical style,” “Iraq vet provides inspiration at Curtis events,” are just a handful of headlines from the hundreds of stories John crafted in his time with us. It was his work that drew the attention of the New York Press Association at their annual conventions. This year, John Roche received an honorable mention for best news story. Judges commented, “It is well written and the reporting, in terms of establishing a factual timeline of events and reactions to those events, is spot on.”

In 2010, John was part of the team that won first place for Coverage of Election and Politics. The award singled out John’s story, “Passions erupt at candidates debate.” And to show the breadth of his skill, in 2009, John was praised for his story on the Katonah Spam festival, “Spamu and Spelmo ‘spam it up’ at Katonah’s Fall Festival.” New York Press Association judges wrote, “Highly entertaining, catchy writing, great use of quotes from multiple sources, good detail and use of humor.” John also was part of the team that won an award this year for “Best Spot News” for the coverage of the local impact of Tropical Storm Irene, which knocked out power to thousands of residents for days and, in some cases, weeks.

As readers, you may take for granted John’s polished prose. For an editor, John’s stories are easy to read, in-depth, thorough and delivered with flawless copy. It is telling how many board members and officials have come up to us since John’s announcement and expressed their appreciation for his fairness and attention to all points of view and their regrets at his departure.

John’s final stories will run in The Record-Review today and next week, although we are counting on his contributions as a freelancer.

Being a reporter isn’t just about transcribing what is said, it is setting the stage, painting a picture, drawing a scene. John excels at just that.

We wish him the best in his new endeavors. The future journalists in his classes are being well guided.

Read more local coverage of your hometown in this week’s issue of the The Record-Review. Newsstand copies are available at several locations listed above, or subscribe today for convenient home delivery.